New Pages of History, The Future is at Hand
by Soultra
Summary: A small group of Great Gummies travel to Ursalia and the Glen to help the others. Sounds good, but things aren't always what they seem. Part 4 finally uploaded! I've been trying to add it since last Wednesday!
1. The New Arrivals

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New Pages of History, The Future is at Hand

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Part 1: New Arrivals

It was a casual morning with no indication anything special could lie just beyond the horizon of the day. Grammi was cooking breakfast and Zummi was studying the Great Book. Sunni and Cubbi were waiting impatiently for the day to truly bloom in its entire splendor. This summer had been quite warm so they were planning on going swimming later. Tummi had agreed to go with them, but right now he was more interested in Grammi's breakfast. Gusto hadn't shown up yet, but no one was particularly concerned. He would usually arrive just as the food was being set on the table. Gruffi had a few projects he wanted to finish, but there was no real hurry. It appeared it was the beginning of a beautiful, peaceful day.

Gruffi walked down the hallway, toolbox in hand as he whistled slightly. Having something to do – a purpose in mind made him feel more relaxed and at ease. He was just going to nail down those loose boards near the library, which he could get done easily before breakfast. Suddenly, one of the hallway doors opened and slammed into his face. "Watch it!" he yelled, as he fell backwards, his tools scattering upon the floor, "What do you think you are -" He stopped when he saw Sir Thornberry standing there, still holding the doorknob. "Sir Thornberry? What are you doing here?"

"Where?" the older bear asked in his usual confused fashion. 

Gruffi shook his head slightly. "Never mind," he said.

"What are you doing on the floor?" Sir Thornberry asked, "I would have thought you would have been up and at it for hours, 'specially with company coming."

"What company? What are you talking about?" Gruffi stood up.

"Well, that's what I've come to tell you about," Sir Thornberry answered, "Ursa sent me here to give you an important message."

"What message?"

"Uh," began Thornberry, "Well, I clean forgot what the message was. Hey, I smell breakfast." He started to step forward, but tripped over some of Gruffi's tools that were still lying in the floor. He fell forward, knocking Gruffi down with him. "Will you look at that," he complained, "Now who would leave these tools spread all over the floor like this? Someone could get hurt."

"Someone still might," Gruffi mumbled.

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Sir Thornberry sat at the table and was wolfing down his share of breakfast as the others watched him carefully. No one knew any more than what Gruffi had gotten from him earlier: that Ursa had sent them a message and something about company.

"Now, who's coming?" Zummi asked.

"Someone's coming? Well then, we should get this old place ready," Thornberry said.

"Look," Gruffi stated, standing up, "What did Ursa send you hear to tell us?"

"Calm down, Gruff," Gusto said, "Why doesn't someone just go to Ursalia and find out?"

"That might not be such a bad idea," Gruffi admitted, "Then at least we can find out what's going on."

"Yeah," Sunni spoke up, "And it's been a while since we've seen Buddy and the others."

"Hold on there," Gruffi interrupted, "I don't know if all of us should go. Some of us should stay here in case anything happens."

"That's good thinking," Sir Thornberry agreed, "It wouldn't be very friendly if no one was here when the Great Gummies arrive."

"The Great Gummies!" everyone exclaimed at once.

"Huh?" Thornberry said, "Is there some sort of echo in here?"

"Are you serious?" Cubbi asked.

"Dumb question for him," Gruffi mumbled, "I say we should go and ask Ursa ourselves to see if he's telling the truth or if this is just more of his silly babble."

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"It's not just silly babble," Ursa said, glancing at Sir Thornberry who had already wandered away from the others, "Although he certainly babbles enough."

"Then it's true?" Grammi asked, almost pleading.

Ursa nodded and pointed up at the Gummiscope. "We got the message just the other day," she explained, "According to the message, a small group is supposed to be heading this way soon. They said that they just wanted to see how things were going and if they could help in any way."

Gritti crossed his arms across his chest. "Not that us Barbics need any help," he added.

"When will they get here?" Sunni questioned excitedly.

"We're not exactly sure," Ursa replied, "They said they would send us another message just before they leave so they can give us an approximate arrival time. Of course, it will have to be a rough estimate. Ocean travel tends to be unreliable." 

Gusto nodded, knowing that to be the truth all too well.

"We'll tell you when we get the next message," Ursa continued, "So at least you have some idea of when they will arrive." There seem to be something else, just under the surface bothering her, but she didn't say anything. Silently, she chewed her lower lip slightly. Gruffi noticed, but didn't ask Ursa what was wrong.

"This is just so amazing!" Sunni cried, twirling around.

"It's almost too good to be true," Zummi said, tears welling up in his eyes.

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The following weeks passed as slowly as a lifetime, yet there didn't seem to be enough time to get all the things they wanted to get done. Grammi had everything ready for a huge feast, but until the Great Gummies actually arrived she couldn't really start on anything but a few of the deserts. She organized and reorganized her kitchen and all the others steered clear knowing that now wasn't the time to bother her. Gruffi was trying to make sure that everything was in working order but as usual, little things kept breaking. He worked twice as hard as he hoped and prayed that everything would be in order. Zummi was trying to perfect a few more spells. It wasn't that he wanted to show off, but rather he was afraid of messing up a simple spell and embarrassing himself. Gusto was working on a new statue, while Sunni hung up a few banners for decoration. Cubbi tried to help Sunni, but he was too excited to really focus on anything for long.

The day that they were to travel to Ursalia awoke dismal and gray. Thick clouds choked the skyline and rolled across like great, black waves. By the time the others reached city, the rain fell in icy, blinding torrents and the wind moaned painfully. It was a bad day to be traveling, especially across the ocean. They were soaked completely when Ursa met them at the gate and led them to shelter inside.

"I don't like this storm," she announced, "The waters are especially turbulent right now. I'm not sure that anyone could make it through."

"They'll make it!" Cubbi shouted, almost angrily, "No old storm can stop the Great Gummies!" As he sat down, there were tears in his eyes, but he wiped them away quickly.

"Even so," Ursa said, "They will most likely be late. That's why I think we should wait before we go down to the port."

"But what if they come and we're not there?" Sunni asked. Like Cubbi, she was trying not cry.

Ursa smiled, her expression more gentle than usual. "Gritty and some of the others are already down there. We'll go when this weather clears up."

The next day awoke as gray and bitter as the first. The rain showed no signs of stopping and everyone was uneasy. Despite the harshness of the weather, it was decided they would travel to the port anyway. The wait was just becoming too much for them.

The port wasn't a part of Ursalia exactly, but it was connected directly to the city by a Quick Car tunnel. The Barbics didn't seem very fond of ocean travel for even short distances, so no one had used the port in quite a long time. Gruffi had traveled here just the other day to make sure everything was okay, but it was still standing strong despite its age. Only the Great Gummies could have built something to last this long, Gruffi had mused.

There was a small building down at the port where they could take shelter while they waited. With each howl of the wind and slap of an angry wave, their fears grew for the safety of the Great Gummies that were trying to sail in this weather. To Gruffi's surprise, it was Gusto who seemed particularly worried. He wasn't talking as much as usual as he stood by the window and watched the ocean. Gusto had never seemed to have a problem with water before – he did live behind a waterfall after all, but he had been stranded on that island for quite a long time. Usually, Gusto spoke of his own past with the same casual ease he faced everyday life. Yet, as Gruffi watched him, he couldn't help but wonder what fears the Gummi artist kept hidden and what he hadn't told them.

Night fell and still natured raged with all her fury. It was almost impossible to sleep, but they had to try. The Great Gummies were now two days later than their expected arrival. Everyone tried to remain calm and brave – two days weren't really that late considering the storm. Yet, there was the unspoken fear that their ship had gone down and they would never arrive.

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"I see them! I see them!" the excited voice of Buddy cried out, waking the others from their light sleep. "They're coming!"

Zummi immediately jumped to his feet and ran outside. Not to far away, he could see a small Gummi ship sailing towards him. He was a bit disappointed when he saw how small the ship was – it couldn't carry more than a half-dozen Gummies, but immediately chastised himself for his disappointment. It would have been too dangerous to travel in a larger ship with more Gummies aboard. Besides, even a single Great Gummi visitor would be an honor.

The boat pulled closer to the dock and a large Gummi jumped out. He was quite tall, about the same size as Gritti, with tan colored fur and brown hair. He didn't say anything as he pulled the boat into position and tied it to the dock.

Another Gummi stepped from the boat and his appearance nearly took Zummi's breath. He was somewhat tall with a slender, almost effeminate build. Slightly unruly eyebrows revealed the age his youthful looking face disguised. His fur was a deep purple and looked as if his hair may have been the same color once, but time had faded it to a soft lilac. Yet, it wasn't his actual looks that had caught Zummi's eye, but his clothes. This Gummi wore a long, white robe trimmed with pale blue – the robe of one of the ancient Gummi wizards. Even before he saw the Gummi medallion around his neck, Zummi knew that this Gummi knew secrets of magic that he couldn't even imagine. Excitement and nervousness bubbled inside of him. This Gummi wizard could teach him so much, but what if he messed up one of his simple spells?

"My name," the wizard announced, "is Morlin. This large fellow that is working with the boat is Burly. He is not trying to unfriendly by not introducing himself, but he can not speak."

"Really?" Cubbi spoke up, looking somewhat amazed.

Burly turned towards him, smiling slightly, and nodded. "As you can see," Morlin added, "There is nothing wrong with his hearing. He may look like a brute, but he's actually quite a nice individual."

Burly looked at Morlin and smirked slightly as if to say, "That's what you think."

Another Gummi was climbing off the ship now. He was about Morlin's height, but his build was much sturdier. "And I believe you already know our captain," Morlin said.

"Chummi!" Sunni cried, running over to him.

Chummi smiled and hugged her tightly. "I think you're even prettier than the last time I saw you," he said, "You sure are going to be a heartbreaker one of these days."

Sunni blushed slightly and risked a quick glance at Gusto.

Chummi said hello to the others and spoke to them all briefly. He paused when he got to Gusto, because they had never met before. However, after a quick introduction the two were talking as if they were old friends.

The final Gummi stepped down from the boat and all eyes turned towards her. She was quite a beauty with her purple fur and violet hair, which fell casually over her left eye. Her dress, like Morlin's robe, was white trimmed in blue. The collar fit high on her slender neck and the sleeves and skirt were full and puffed. "And this is my granddaughter, Vixen," Morlin announced, his voice beaming with pride.

"Hello everyone," Vixen said. Her voice was soft, yet slightly husky.

"We are all quite tired after our journey," Morlin began, "So, may we travel on to the city and rest?"

"Certainly," Ursa answered, "Follow me."

Together, they headed back for Ursalia. As Zummi tagged along, he realized that a new chapter had begun in the story of their lives. What was going to happen next?

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End Part 1

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Hello all and thanks for reading the first part of my new story. I have a few notes I would like to add here. This is my first attempt at writing the Barbics into one of my stories, so I hope I did okay with their personalities – I tried my best. Also, I have only a vague idea of where this story is going, so that's why the title is a little, well, weird. I hope you like this story.

I'm sorry I haven't finished "Of Dragons and Angels." I've been having a tough time writing lately. Let's just say that if writer's block was terminal, you should be very, very afraid of this message. I will try to finish it. Thanks for your patience. 


	2. The Best Laid Plans

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Part 2: The Best Laid Plans

If Morlin's idea was that he would be able to rest in the city of Ursalia, he was mistaken. Despite the Barbic's original attitude of indifference towards the newcomers, Morlin and the others were met with great excitement and curiosity. Grouping around the small band of Great Gummies, questions flew about rapidly, but the visitors didn't seem upset. In fact, they seemed almost pleased with the attention.

Ursa led them on a short tour of the city and as Gruffi watched her, he suddenly became aware why she had appeared so nervous before. At one time, Ursalia boasted the most devices and machines of any other Gummi city but many years had passed. With the exception of the aqueducts and a few other defenses, the devices lay in broken heaps. Although the Barbics had cleaned up the mess, they had no idea how to repair the actual machines and had steadfastly refused Gruffi's offers of help. Ursa had said that the Barbics had no use for the machines because they knew how to provide for themselves without help, but Gruffi had later learned that she didn't understand the devices and was too proud to admit it. However, as she led the visitors about, Gruffi could tell that she was worried what Morlin and the others might think.

_You not as good at hiding your emotions as you used to be, are you Ursa, _Gruffi mused to himself, but then shook his head quickly. Where had that thought come from?

When Ursa ended her impromptu tour, Morlin smiled warmly. "It does my old heart good," he said, "To see this old city occupied. It would have been depressing to find Ursalia deserted and in ruins."

Ursa returned the smile and Gruffi saw some of the tension melt from her features. Gritti, however, wasn't so easy to win over. "I'd rather be in Barbic Woods," he said, looking at Morlin squarely, "but that's not an option."

An uneasy silence followed his statement as Gruffi inwardly moaned, worried how the Great Gummi Wizard may take the remark, but Morlin barely blinked. "Perhaps so," he began, "but I believe fate brought you to Ursalia. I would hate to see what this old city would look like if you hadn't come along to protect and restore her. Thank you for all you have done."

Gritti begrudgingly smiled as a cheer arose from the crowd. With the preliminary 'inspection' out of the way, the celebration began in earnest. Grammi brought out some of the food she had made while others produced traditional Barbic dishes. Soon, everyone was eating, talking and laughing as evening fell swiftly around them.

Gruffi sat back and watched the celebration. _Will this be what it's like if the Great Gummies return_, he wondered. _Probably not. This is only a small group; nothing in comparison to the Great Gummies. That would be a celebration that would probably last for days._ Smiling slightly, he looked around at everyone.

Morlin was still talking with Ursa and Gritti, but Zummi was standing next to him, practically drooling to see true Great Gummi magic. Morlin had told Zummi that when it was dark enough that Zummi could show them some of the fireworks he had been working on. Zummi was quite excited and anxious, which made Gruffi nervous. When Zummi was anxious he was more likely not to perform his spells correctly.

Chummi had almost immediately became friends with Gusto and they were talking rather animatedly. They had barely paused in their conversation since Chummi had gotten off the ship this morning, but Gruffi wasn't really surprised. Both of them had good natured, friendly dispositions so it made since they would get along so well.

Cubbi had hung around with Chummi and Gusto a little bit, eager to hear of Chummi's travels, but had later drifted over to Sunni and Buddy who were with Burly. Their new friend was teaching them what appeared to be quite a complicated game, but the younger Gummies caught on quickly. Burly watched their progress and would sometimes through back his head with silent laughter. Gruffi couldn't help but notice how gentle Burly was despite his size.

Vixen was the only one who didn't really get involved in any part of the celebration. She was sitting back quietly watching everyone and everything, but she hadn't been unfriendly. Whenever someone would speak to her, she would reply and everyone said she seemed quite nice. Most seemed to think that she was just shy, but Gruffi wasn't sure. For some reason, he didn't quite trust her as much as he did the others, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was just because she was so quiet. Also, he had noticed that Tummi had been watching her intently, obviously aware of the fact she was quite pretty. He hoped that his distrust of her stemmed only from worry for Tummi and his feelings.

As night truly fell, the Barbics built a huge bonfire and Zummi wowed everyone with his fireworks display. There were no real mishaps with Zummi's magic, as there sometimes were and Morlin complimented his skills, which caused Zummi to blush so deeply he almost appeared to glow. After the fireworks, Ursa stood up and began to tell what Gruffi originally assumed was some sort of camp fire story, but soon realized that it was the history of the Barbics. He was amazed and how much all the Barbics knew of their ancestry. Gruffi really didn't know as much and thought it might be that most of their history and tradition was passed on through the written word (with the exception of Gummi Berry juice) mostly through the Great Book. Although Zummi studied the Great Book daily, there was still much he hadn't discovered. The Barbics however had a tradition of an oral history so as long as they remembered it and passed their stories along, their history was not forgotten.

Ursa told how their ancestors first came to Barbic Woods and all the dangers they had faced. She ended with how she had came to be leader despite conflict with some of the other Barbics (it seemed a few didn't really like the idea of a female leader) and their departure from Barbic Woods to Ursalia. Although Gruffi had known some of the story, he had never really realized all that Ursa and the others had gone through and found that he respected her now more than ever.

As the hour grew later, everyone became tired and sleepy. After all, it had been quite an exciting day, so beds were prepared for all their guests and soon everyone fell asleep. As they drifted off to sleep, the thought hung in all their tired minds: what would the next day hold?

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The excitement that hung in the Glen was like a crackling electric current, constantly in motion around them. They had returned to the Glen, with the exception of Zummi, the day before and we're now awaiting the arrival of the Morlin and the others. Morlin had wanted to spend an extra day in Ursalia talking to the Barbics and looking at the city. Zummi had stayed behind to act as a guide when their Great Gummi visitors wanted to leave Ursalia to travel to Gummi Glen.

Gusto had his easel set up in the main room and his brushes were ready. Before leaving Ursalia, he had asked Morlin if he could do a portrait of him and the others. He had half-expected Morlin to decline, but the old wizard had smiled and said that he might and that he would think about it. Even if there was only a slight chance that Morlin would agree to the painting, Gusto was going to be prepared. Every few minutes, he readjusted the easel and canvas trying to make sure that everything was perfect.

He wasn't the only one making last minute preparations. Grammi had spent the entire night in the kitchen and the smells that were now penetrating the Glen were interesting to say the least. Gruffi was running around with hammer and nails just looking for something that was broken. He was usually so organized and controlled, but now he seemed on the verge of chaos.

_Maybe I'm a bad influence on him_, Gusto thought to himself and barely repressed a laugh.

There was a soft knock on the door and as it opened, everyone turned towards it, but was disappointed when they saw Cavin and Calla standing there. "Are we late?" Cavin asked, anxiously, "Are they here?"

"No," Gruffi answered, finally setting his hammer down as he tried to regain his usual composure, "They haven't made it from Ursalia yet."

When Morlin had learned that Sunni and Cubbi had human friends, he asked if he could meet them at the Glen. There wasn't much of a problem for Cavin, but Calla sometimes had trouble getting away from the castle. Luckily, her father was going to be out in the countryside today, so had been able to sneak away.

"They should be here soon," Gruffi added. 

"And so we are," Morlin said, as he stepped into the room.

As the Great Gummies looked upon Cavin and Calla, there was a certain amount of fear and anxiety upon their faces. For a second no one moved nor spoke, but it was Chummi who broke the ice.

"Great to see you again, Cavin!" he exclaimed, giving Cavin's hand a hearty shake. "Are you still fighting side by side with Cubbi?"

"I sure am!" Cavin responded enthusiastically.

Walking over to Calla, Chummi took her hand gently in his. "And you must be Calla," he said, "I didn't really get a chance to talk to you last time. How have you been?"

"Fine," she answered, "And how have you been?"

Following Chummi's lead, Burly walked over to greet the two as well. His broad face was all smiles as he shook Cavin's hand. When he got to Calla, he went a step further than Chummi and kissed the back of her hand. Although Gusto had never considered himself biased, he was consistently amazed at how well Burly communicated with only his actions and expressions.

As Morlin made his way over, there were tears in the corners of his eyes. "Seeing you two," he began, "makes me believe that the idea of Gummies and humans coexisting peacefully isn't just a dream. I think that it could really happen."

Calla leaned down and took both of his hands in hers. "I believe so too," she said.

The rest of the day continued much as it had in Ursalia. They toured the Glen and talked about all that had happened. Morlin asked both Cavin and Calla how they had met their Gummi friends and seemed amused at their stories. Of course, since both of their stories included some of the dangers that constantly threatened this area, there was a certain uneasiness surrounding some of the details.

As the others soon realized, Morlin was quite quick to give out compliments. He commented on how well the Glen was preserved and praised Gruffi for his work. After all, he had added, in the days when the Great Gummies had lived here, there had been several individuals to help keep it maintained. Now, there was just Gruffi who had to be a carpenter, plumber, and mechanic all at the same time. It was obvious that Gruffi was somewhat embarrassed with all the praise and was quick to say that he was just doing his job.

Morlin also seemed impressed with the library and said he was pleased when Zummi mentioned his studies. Morlin asked if he could read some of the entries Zummi had added to the Great Book and Zummi said that he could.

As the hour drew late, Cavin and Calla had to return to Dunwyn and the others sat down to their evening meal. Never before had their little table been so crowded, and Gusto could barely keep from smiling. As he looked around, he noticed the many of the others seemed to be feeling the same thing. Morlin wasn't smiling however and it seemed as if there was something on his mind.

"I have to be perfectly honest with you," he said, just as Grammi was clearing the table. She had been sitting in the dishes into soapy dishwater, but she let the plates set as she walked back into the room, drying her hands on her apron.

"Perfectly honest?" Zummi repeated, "Mhat do you wean, er, what do you mean?"

Morlin crossed his long fingers together, his face serious and grave. "We came here," he intoned, "to see if there was any hope to return or if we should just give up on that dream and move on."

A stricken silence fell heavily about the room as the shock of his statement settled in. "Give up?" Sunni finally managed.

"Yes," Morlin stated, "As you know, we Great Gummies traveled across the ocean over 500 years ago. I am one the oldest Gummies in New Gumbrea, and I was born there. Not one of us had ever seen Gummi Glen or Ursalia until we traveled here the other day." He took a deep breath. "We were beginning to think that all of those that had been left behind were gone. We thought that perhaps you were dead even. You see, our numbers have dwindled greatly over the years. Once there were thousands, but now there are only a couple hundred Great Gummies still alive. Since so many of us have gone on, there was a fear that the few we had left to watch over these warrens had no chance of survival."

"But we did survive," Grammi said.

Morlin smiled slightly, but his eyes remained sad. "Yes," he replied, "You can imagine our joy when we received that first message from you on the Gummiscope. We had almost quit watching it when you contacted us. It was only by chance that someone was there. There was great joy at first and we starting waiting, just as our ancestors waited. Yet as time passed, we became concerned. What if we were just waiting and waiting for something that was never going to happen? So we came here to see if there was a chance. That was our reason."

Zummi looked especially downcast. "Then we have failed," he said miserably, "Our job was to wait here until it was safe for the Great Gummies to return, but it's still not safe."

"It's not that you have failed," Morlin clarified, "but I have to wonder if there was anyway to succeed. Anyway, our job was to come here and see if there was any hope. If there was no hope, we were going to send for more ships so that you could travel back to New Gumbrea with us."

Gruffi's eyes were focused on the table as he spoke. "What if we refused to leave?" he asked.

"I would understand," Morlin answered, "This is your home. Besides…" His voice trailed off as his smile widened and reached his eyes. "When I first arrived at Ursalia, I was a little homesick for New Gumbrea," he admitted, "but when I came here, I felt as I had truly come home for the first time." His voice became stronger as he continued. "And there is still hope, wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course there is," Grammi said, "As long as we don't give up, there's always hope."

"Plus, you already have two human allies," Morlin added, "That is a start. Even if we can't straighten everything out for this generation, there is always the next."

"That's right!" Cubbi yelled, jumping up to stand in his chair.

"Exactly!" Sunni agreed as she stood.

"We just have to try," Grammi added.

"And we will," promised Morlin, "It's late, but we'll continue our discussion tomorrow. The next step is to look at what we can do. I am sorry if I upset you with my talk of giving up, but I wanted to be perfectly honest about our objectives."

"We understand," Gruffi mumbled, but his tone seemed uncertain.

"Oh, and, uh, Gusto?" Morlin asked uncertainly.

"Yes," Gusto responded, pleased that wizard had already leaned his name.

"You mentioned something about wanting to do a portrait," Morlin said, "I think a painting of an old goat like me would be a waste, but I would appreciate if you would paint a portrait of Vixen. It would be nice to have a picture of my beautiful granddaughter."

"You are going to embarrass me, grandfather," Vixen stated, speaking up for the first time since they had come to the Glen.

"Sure," Gusto agreed, "When would you like me to do it?"

"Well, it's too late now," Morlin began.

"How about tomorrow after breakfast?" Vixen interrupted.

"Sounds good," Gusto responded.

The group began slowly breaking up after that, each going there separate ways. It was past Cubbi's bedtime, but he said he was too excited to sleep. Still, the young Gummi prepared for bed and within minutes was fast asleep.

Gusto gathered his easel and art supplies as he prepared to go back to his place behind the waterfall. Walking past the kitchen, he overheard Grammi and Tummi talking.

"If you like Vixen," Grammi was saying, "You should speak up. Tell her."

"I don't know," Tummi replied, "What would I say?"

"Just tell her how you feel," Grammi said, "Now, I need to get these dishes done or we won't have anything to eat out of at breakfast." She made her way over to the sink as Gusto walked over to Tummi.

"You know Tumster," Gusto said, "I'm going to doing a portrait of certain lovely Gummi tomorrow after breakfast."

"Yeah," Tummi responded, with a sigh, "I heard Morlin ask you."

"But you know what would really look nice," Gusto continued, "would be for her to be holding some pretty wildflowers."

"That would be nice," Tummi agreed.

"So, why don't you pick her some flowers?" Gusto continued.

Tummi's eyes widened as he looked at Gusto. "Do you think I should? Will she like that?"

"Absolutely!" Gusto replied, "Pick her a nice bouquet and bring them by my place just as I'm about to start painting. I'll try to even step outside for a minute to give you two a minute alone."

"You'll do that?"

"Sure. What are friends for?"

"Thanks!" Tummi exclaimed and grabbed Gusto in a giant hug that nearly suffocated him.

"You're welcome," Gusto managed, "but save the 'warm embraces' for Vixen."

"Oh sorry," Tummi apologized.

"No problem," Gusto said with a laugh as he left the room and headed home.

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"So, where would you like me to sit?" Vixen asked.

"Just a second," Gusto responded as he pulled a stool out from a crowded corner and set it in front of the rushing water. Where was Tummi? He had left breakfast a little early, but he still hadn't shown up. "Sit right here," Gusto instructed, "The waterfall will be a nice background."

"Yes," Vixen agreed, "Waterfalls are so romantic."

"I guess so," Gusto said, distracted. _Where are you Tummi?_

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There were just so many different flowers blooming in the fields. Originally, Tummi was going to pick some of the small purple ones that were the same color as Vixen's fur, but the blue ones smelled better. The red ones were nice, but the yellow ones looked like small rays of sunshine. Maybe he should just pick a bouquet of all the different flowers. Carefully, he set about choosing only the prettiest blossoms.

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Gusto stalled for as long as he could, arranging things that had already been arranged and he could tell that Vixen was growing reckless. Sighing, he figured that Tummi must have changed his mind, so he decided to proceed with the portrait.

"Okay," he said to Vixen, "Turn your body to the left, but keep your face turned towards me. Now, tilt your chin slightly."

"Like this?" Vixen asked as she tilted her chin too far.

"Not exactly," Gusto answered. He walked over to her and used his hands to gently tilt her chin just the way he wanted it.

"You know," she said, looking up at him, "I hinted to my grandfather that I wanted to have my portrait done."

"You did?" Gusto asked, concentrating on arranging her hair so it lay against her shoulder in a soft wave. "Do you like posing?"

"Not really," she replied with a soft laugh, her look growing mischievous.

He moved her face into just the right position and was about to step away, when she turned to look up at him again. "I only pose for _certain_ artists," she said.

Gusto was a little uncomfortable with her tone but tried not to let it show. "I don't see how you pose for anyone when you won't sit still," he stated, as he again used his hands to position her face.

She seemed upset with his response. "Don't you think I'm pretty?" she pouted.

"Huh?" he asked, "Well, yeah. You're pretty but I…"

"Great!" she interrupted, jumping off of the stool and wrapping her arms around Gusto's neck. "And I think you are handsome," she purred and, without further warning, kissed him.

Gusto was too shocked to respond at first. When he finally realized what had just happened, he pushed her away. "What are you," he began, but a sound outside caught his attention. He walked over to the entrance only to find a shower of multi-color wildflowers lying there. Tummi was already on the ground and running away.

"Tummi, wait!" Gusto yelled, but his friend didn't pause. Gusto knew it was impossible over the sound of the waterfall and the distance they now were, but he could have sworn he heard Tummi crying.

****

End Part 2

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And so ends part 2 – I hope you liked it. Again, this story is a bit of an experiment because I only have a vague idea where I'm going next. I usually like to plan everything out first, but they say that the only way to cure writer's block is to just write.


	3. Accusations and Denials

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Part 3: Accusations and Denials

The colorful wildflowers lay trampled at his feet as Gusto watched Tummi run away, his heart broken. Gusto had thought he had everything planned out so perfectly, but somehow things had gone horribly wrong. Shaking his head, he was determined to set things right as he started to follow Tummi.

"Wait, Gusto!" Vixen cried, grabbing his arm with both of her hands, "What happened? Who was that?"

He wanted to yell at her, but consciously tried to calm himself. Her kiss had been the cause of all this trouble, but she had no way of knowing about Tummi's plan. "That was Tummi," he answered, struggling to keep his voice even, "He was coming here – to talk to you! He must have seen you kiss me."

"Tummi?" Vixen repeated, her voice rising in surprise, "You mean that fat guy? What did he want?"

Gusto jerked his arm away as he anger returned. "What do you think?" he spat, "He was even bringing you flowers and everything!"

"Poor guy," Vixen said, without sympathy, "but what would have given him the idea that I could actually be interested in someone like _him_?" Her nose wrinkled slightly with disgust, as she grabbed Gusto's arm again. "Especially when there was someone like you around," she cooed.

"I think the bigger question is," Gusto responded, almost growling, "is how a nice guy like Tummi could be interested in you!" He jerked his arm away, which threw Vixen off-balance. She fell backwards, her left arm striking a small table of art supplies.

Gusto barely glanced at her as he hurried away, but he saw the look of outrage clearly written on her pretty face. It would be a look that would come back to haunt him later.

(())(())(())(())(())(())

Zummi paced slightly as Morlin read his entries in the Great Book. _What if he can't read my writing_, Zummi worried. _What if he doesn't like the way I write? Maybe I haven't written enough or maybe I added too many unnecessary details._ He continued to pace as he glanced at Morlin nervously every five minutes. For now, the Great Wizard's face was unreadable. Finally, Morlin finished the final page and turned to look at Zummi, who audibly sighed with relief when he saw that Morlin was smiling.

"You have had many interesting adventures," Morlin began, "and you have quite a gift for writing. It was all very descriptive and clear."

"Thank you," Zummi said, feeling his face grow warm. He wished that he didn't blush so easily, but there wasn't much way to change that.

"We have been having problems in New Gumbrea," Morlin continued, his face growing solemn, "with our younger generations. They just don't want to study and learn about our history and culture. Times for us have been far easier then it has been here, but I'm not sure if that's a blessing or a curse in disguise. I fear we are becoming lazy and thankless."

Zummi wasn't quite sure how to respond to Morlin's last statement, but he couldn't help but notice the sad, faraway look on his new companion's face. "Morlin," he ventured, "Is something wrong? Something you tidn't dell, uh, didn't tell us."

Morlin looked surprised. "Well, yes," he admitted, reluctantly, "There is something else. But, I don't want to bother you with my problems."

"Tell me," Zummi said softly, "Maybe I can help or at least listen."

"Well, it's just that," Morlin started.

All at once, they were interrupted by a commotion in the hallway. Tummi was hurrying by, quite quickly for him, and Grammi was following close behind as she tried to talk to him. "What's going on?" Zummi asked Grammi as she passed the open library door.

"Something's upset, Tummi," she answered, pausing momentarily, "but he won't tell me what. See if you can get him to talk, Zummi."

"Well, I," Zummi began hesitantly.

"Go on," Morlin advised, "We can talk later."

Nodding, Zummi left Morlin in the library and followed Grammi to Tummi's room. The door was shut and, for the first time they were aware of, locked. "Open the door, honey," Grammi crooned as she knocked softly.

"Come on, Tummi," Zummi added, "We want to help you, but we have to know what's wrong."

"I don't want to talk," Tummi said slowly. His tone wasn't demanding or angry, but it sounded so very sad.

"It'll help to talk," Grammi stated, "When I'm upset about something, I feel better when I can talk to someone."

"Really?" Tummi seemed hopeful. In a few minutes, they heard him unlatch the door and he opened it slightly.

"Now, tell us what's wrong," prodded Grammi.

Tummi took a deep breath. "I went to talk to Vixen," he said carefully, nearly on the verge of tears.

"Oh," Grammi was surprised, "What did she say?" 

"Nothing," Tummi replied, "I didn't speak to her. When I got there, I saw Gusto kissing her!"

"What?!?" Grammi and Zummi cried in unison.

About that time, Gusto came running down the hall. "Tummi," he said, trying to catch his breath, "I have to talk to you."

Shaking his head, Tummi silently closed the door and relocked it as Zummi and Grammi turned their attention towards Gusto. "What a mess," Zummi stated.

"Yeah," agreed Grammi, "You see, Gusto, Tummi was somewhat infatuated with Vixen."

"I know," Gusto said, "I heard you two talking last night in the kitchen. That's why-"

"You knew?" Grammi interrupted.

"Then why on Earth did you kiss her?" Zummi asked.

"Kiss her? You don't understand. I-"

Gruffi walked over to them with Cubbi and Sunni following close behind. "What's going on here?" Gruffi demanded, interrupting Gusto, "I can hear you all the way down in my workshop."

"Tummi's heartbroken because he saw Gusto kissing Vixen."

"But I didn't-" Gusto began.

"That's gross!" Cubbi exclaimed.

"What would you want to kiss her?" Sunni asked, jealously.

"Would you guys just listen to me for a minute?" Gusto exclaimed, anger seeping into his voice.

"I, for one, am especially interested in what you have to say," Morlin announced in a shaky voice. Vixen was standing beside him, her face downcast. She glanced quickly at Gusto, but her expression wasn't clear. "Vixen, go get Burly and Chummi and have them meet us in the main room."

"Yes, grandfather," Vixen responded and immediately walked away.

Morlin started towards the main room and all of the others, except for Tummi who was still in his room, followed quietly. Zummi was quite confused. Morlin seemed to be a totally different Gummi than he had been only five minutes earlier and his anger seemed out of place. Gusto's actions may have been irresponsible, but they didn't seem to warrant the kind of rage that Zummi could see boiling within Morlin.

Pausing once they reached their destination, Morlin waited wordlessly until Vixen and the others arrived. Then, he cleared his throat as he began. "Augustus Gummi," he said in a formal tone, "I asked you to do a portrait of my granddaughter, did I not?"

"Yes," Gusto responded, "And I…"

"I trusted you to treat her with the utmost respect," Morlin continued without letting Gusto finish, "but this is what I get for my trust. When you were alone with her, you took advantage of the situation and tried to force yourself on her. I don't even want to think about what might have happened if your friend, Tummi, hadn't show up."

A general gasp rose from the group and Zummi was briefly shocked beyond words.

"What?" Gusto cried, surprised and angered, "That's not what happened. She kissed me!"

"SILENCE!" Morlin roared, his rage now clear for everyone to see, "I won't stand here and listen to these lies! She kissed you? Are you saying that you are so _irresistible_ that she couldn't control herself around you." His sarcasm was laced with venom.

"I'm just trying to tell you what happened!" Gusto announced.

"Then explain her injuries," Morlin shot back, "Why is her left arm sore and tender? I have seen the marks myself!"

"She fell," Gusto answered, "She was holding onto my arm and-"

"Ridiculous!" interrupted Morlin. He looked around at his comrades. "We are going," he commanded.

"What? You're leaving?" Zummi asked, dismayed.

"I need to get away from here," Morlin replied through clenched teeth, "We are going to Ursalia until we can figure out what to do about this situation."

"This has to be some sort of misunderstanding," Gruffi said, finally finding his voice.

"Yeah," Sunni added, "Gusto wouldn't do that."

Grammi, Cubbi, and Zummi all begin to speak up on Gusto's behalf, but Morlin didn't seem prepared to listen to their words.

"Are you calling my granddaughter a liar?!?" Morlin roared and his anger silenced them.

"As I said," Morlin continued, "We need to be going."

"Maybe things have been blown out of proportion," Chummi said, cautiously, "We wouldn't want to get upset over nothing. Right?"

Looking at him with an evenly, Morlin's tone was ice. "You were given the job of guiding the boat because you said you had nautical experience and had been here before. Although I didn't really know you, I gave you a chance because you claimed to be loyal to our cause. But now I am truly questioning where your loyalty lies!"

Chummi seemed discouraged at Morlin's outburst. "Now, do you have any more objections?" Morlin asked and Chummi shook his head.

"Good," Morlin said as he turned to look at the others. "I will consider what has happened here carefully," he announced, "but I must admit that I am beginning to wonder if it's such a good idea for any Gummies to leave New Gumbrea to resettle here."

The force of his statement took them all by surprise and Zummi felt almost as if he had been dealt a physical blow. Yet, it was Gusto who spoke up.

"That's not fair," he said, "Even if I was guilty of what you claim, that's no reason to punish them. I don't even live at the Glen! I'm not from here either!"

Morlin seemed to consider this, but chose to direct his answer at the group rather than Gusto personally. "Although this bear does not live here at the Glen itself, I still hesitate to invite others. He lives much too close for my taste. Besides, they say that you can always tell what someone is like by the company they keep. Now, if you'll excuse me." He turned and started away. Vixen and Chummi fell into step behind him, but Burly paused. He shook his head sadly and laid one his large hands on Gusto's shoulder_. I'm sorry_ he said in his own special way, _but it'll be okay_. With a warm smile as his goodbye, he followed Morlin and the others.

Silence followed for several minutes after they had left. Suddenly, one of the trap doors opened and Artie came flying into the room. "I tell you guys," the toucan began, "that was the best vacation I ever had. I needed some time to myself." He stopped when he noticed the sad faces of the Gummies. "What's going on?" he asked, "What did I miss?"

"A lot, Artie," Gusto replied in a heavy tone, "A whole lot."

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Ursa stood atop the highest tower looking out across the lands that surrounded Ursalia. Things were changing all around her, and she had no means to stop these changes. She was no longer sure she even wanted to.

It had been many centuries since a band of Gummies had gone their separate way from the Great Gummies to form the first group of Barbics, but until recently little had changed. Living in Barbic Woods, they did things their own way because they had to, although they tried to convince themselves it was the way they wanted it. Yet, being forced to move to Ursalia had brought things to a different light. As the years passed, their numbers had dwindled and it looked as if Buddy may be the last of their kind. The thought saddened Ursa.

Yet, it appeared as if the Great Gummies might soon be returning. Although she didn't have the 'connection' with them that the Glen Gummies boasted, she couldn't help but feel a certain amount of excitement. It wasn't that she was ready to rejoin the larger group, but having more allies so close would be nice. Besides, as they had seen in the past, there were places were the two cultures could meet and rejoice in both their similarities and differences.

"Someone sure looks like they're daydreaming," Gritti announced as he joined Ursa at the top of the tower.

Ursa laughed lightly. "It may look like I'm daydreaming," she responded, "but you better believe that I'm aware of everything going on around me."

Gritti laughed with her for it was an old and common joke between the two. Yet, as his laughter tapered, a serious look took possession of his face. "You thinking about the Great Gummies?"

She nodded. "Yeah. What do you think about all this, Gritti?"

"I'm not really sure," he admitted, "We separated from the other Gummies so long ago. I guess I'm a little worried that they'll want us to just join up with them and try and live the way they do – and I'm not ready to do that. I was born a Barbic and I'll die a Barbic. I'm too old and stubborn to change now."

"I feel that way too," Ursa agreed, "Yet, it might be nice to so many friends living nearby. Maybe they'll be more celebrations like the one we had the other night."

Gritti smiled, "Don't mention that celebration," he began jokingly, "I ate so much my stomach still hurts. If we have many more parties like that, I'll probably burst!"

Ursa chuckled. "Just because the food's there, doesn't mean you have to eat it."

"Well," Gritti responded, "I couldn't exactly let it go to waste now could I?"

"I suppose not," Ursa said, smiling, as she turned her attention back to the scenery that stretched out before her. "I just can't help but wonder," she said, "what is lying just beyond the horizon."

"I know what you mean," Gritti stated.

"Someone's coming!" a voice called from below.

Immediately, the reflective look was gone from Ursa's features. Gritti and her were ready for action as they hurried down to find how the identity of their visitors. She was shocked and unprepared when she saw Morlin's group standing there, looking somewhat tired and disheveled after their long ride through the Quick Tunnels.

"Morlin," Ursa greeted, "What brings you back to Ursalia so soon?"

He looked at her and she could see the rage burning in his eyes like a wild fire. "We would like to stay here for a few days," he stated tensely, "Can we use the rooms that we did before?"

"Of course," Ursa replied, "but is something wrong?"

Morlin's expression didn't change. "I just need some time alone. The trip here was rough, so I think I will rest up for a bit." Without another word, he walked back to the quarters he had used previously and his comrades followed suit.

"What do you think's going on?" Gritti asked once they were out of sight, "A disagreement with the other bears?"

"Perhaps," Ursa began, "but what could the others done to make him so angry. He looked ready to kill somebody."

"Well, we have had disagreements with them before," Gritti offered.

"Yes, but that is because we have somewhat different beliefs," Ursa replied, "but they try to live exactly according to the Great Gummi traditions. What could they have possibly done to make him so angry? I think something else must have happened."

"Should we send someone down to Gummi Glen to find out?"

Ursa considered this for a moment. "No," she finally said, "If they need to talk, they will probably come here. Right now, everyone is upset so we probably couldn't get the entire story anyway. For now, we will wait."

Gritti nodded and seemed satisfied with Ursa's response. Yet, despite her calm answer, she was far more worried that she had admitted. She couldn't help but feel that something important had just happened.

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The steely clouds hung low and heavy across the horizon and, although the day had officially begun several hours ago, the sun had yet to make an appearance. The wind had been unseasonably cold earlier, but it had died down. It was as if the Earth itself was holding its breath – just waiting for the first few raindrops to fall. Gruffi walked up the small, grassy slope and he could see Gusto sitting at the top of the hill. When Gusto hadn't shown up for breakfast this morning, the others became worried. He had been obviously upset the day before when Morlin had hurled his accusations, so they felt someone should try talking to him. Unfortunately, he was not in his studio or anywhere else they looked. Artie had finally told Gruffi of this small hill where Gusto would go to think, but added that usually Gusto wanted to be alone there. However there were things that Gruffi needed to say.

Gusto turned around to look at him when Gruffi was a few feet away. He must have heard Gruffi's progress up the slope. "What am I being accused of now?" he demanded bitterly.

Gruffi didn't respond as he walked up beside of Gusto and sat down. "Artie told me you'd be here," he said in lieu of a greeting.

"Yeah," Gusto admitted, "I like to come up here when I need to think." He turned to look at Gruffi. "I'm sorry for being so mean when I saw you. I'm just upset."

"I understand," Gruffi responded. He was a bit uncomfortable when he saw the expression upon his friend's face. Gusto had a tendency to be melodramatic at times, but Gruffi had never seen anyone look so broken and forlorn. "We didn't treat you very nice the other night," he continued, "and we didn't stand up for you like we should have. I guess I was just so shocked that anyone could think you would do something like that that I could barely speak."

"That's okay."

"No, it's not. We should have defended you."

Gusto smiled slightly which made him look even sadder. "You tried," he said softly, "You know I was the one who told Artie that he should go on vacation." Gruffi didn't respond at first as he wondered what had brought this up. "He told me that he was feeling restless," Gusto continued as if he didn't notice Gruffi's silence, "and I said that it might be good for him to get away for a bit. I have to do that sometimes. But I wish he had been there. Maybe it wouldn't have happened or at least there would be a witness." He laughed slightly, but it was short and bitter. "I really have to stop giving advice," he added, "I never realized before how dangerous it could be."

Gruffi wasn't sure what he meant. "Gusto," he began softly, "What happened?"

Taking a deep breath, Gusto slowly told Gruffi everything, starting with how he had told Tummi to bring flowers for Vixen and up to the point he saw Tummi running away. Gruffi was beyond surprised. "You mean, you were the one who told Tummi to show up?" he asked.

Gusto nodded. "I heard him tell Grammi that he liked her but he didn't know how to approach her, so I thought I would help."

"So that's what you mean about giving advice," Gruffi realized, "But what about Vixen's arm? How did she get hurt?"

"After we saw Tummi, I told her why he had come there," Gusto answered, "She seemed almost disgusted calling him 'that fat guy' and saying something about how she could never be interested in someone like him. I was already mad with her, but that just made me even madder. She was holding on to my arm and I just sort of jerked away and I guess she lost her balance. When she fell, she hit that small table I have with all my brushes on it."

Gruffi exhaled slowly as he heard the story. "You believe me, don't you?" Gusto asked nervously.

Managing a small smile, Gruffi turned towards him. "Sometimes I think you're crazy," he began, "You're irresponsible and flighty, but you have never been a liar. Yes, I believe you."

"Thanks. So, what do we do now?"

"I don't know," Gruffi answered, standing, "Morlin is probably still in Ursalia. I wanted to go this morning to talk to him, but Zummi said we should wait to make sure he's cooled off. Maybe Zummi's right, but I just don't know."

"I've been thinking about leaving," Gusto said in a soft measured tone.

"What?" Gruffi cried, "But why?"

There were tears glimmering in Gusto's eyes as he spoke. "It's not fair that the Great Gummies can't come here just because of me."

"But you didn't do anything wrong. What happened wasn't your fault."

"I'm not from here," he added, "and I'm used to being on my own."

"You may not be from here," Gruffi stated, "but you are just as much a part of the Glen as any of us. You are a part of this warren even if you do live behind the waterfall."

Gusto didn't seem to be listening. "I wish I knew why every time a place starts feeling like home, I have to leave."

Gruffi blinked a few times in surprise. "Every time? Gusto, where are you from exactly?"

A tear trailed down his sad face and dangled a moment on his chin like a tiny, imperfect diamond, but Gusto didn't answer. He just sat there, staring out into the valley but Gruffi knew he wasn't really looking at the landscape.

Feeling helpless, Gruffi finally left Gusto sitting there alone, but he couldn't help but turn back to look at him. Gusto was an enigma wrapped up within itself so tightly, it was hard to find where it began. He seemed so open in a way, but now Gruffi realized that he knew so very little about him. "What happened to you?" he whispered softly.

(())(())(())(())(())(())

As the day wore on, Chummi was feeling more and more restless. He wished he had stood up for Gusto more, despite Morlin's apparent anger. Besides, he may have only known Gusto for a short time, but he honestly didn't feel that his new friend could be guilty of such a crime. Sighing, he stared up at the morbid clouds that hung heavily in the sky.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped slightly. Turning around, he saw Burly standing there, his expressive face seemingly drained of energy. "You startled me," Chummi said, unnecessarily.

Burly didn't try to 'respond' as he pushed a piece of paper towards a surprised Chummi. In all the time that he had known him, Burly had only had to resort to writing notes a few times. "What's this?" Chummi asked as he unfolded the paper. As he read Burly's hurried handwriting, his eyes grew large. 

"Are you serious?" Chummi demanded and Burly nodded. "We have to tell the others right away!" Turning, he headed towards the Quick Tunnels.

Burly put his hand on Chummi's shoulder and Chummi turned around. Once he had Chummi's attention, Burly motioned his head towards Morlin's quarters. _What about Morlin,_ he asked. 

"I don't care what Morlin thinks anymore," Chummi answered, "He asked me earlier where my loyalties lie. Now I know. My loyalties are to my friends and to the truth!" Without another word, he hurried away but he paused to look back at Burly. His large companion was still standing there his arms folded across his chest, but a slight smile was upon his face. As usual, Chummi knew what he was saying.

_I will stand behind you, my friend._

****

End Part 3

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Psst…Want to know a secret? When I started this section, I realized I had forgotten about Artie. That's why I added the part about the vacation. I hope it doesn't sound too 'tacked on.' Usually when I do something like that, I try to make it sound like I did it on purpose – and that's what I tried to do here. Part 4 will soon be on the way, but I'm unsure how many parts this story will end up having. Thanks to everyone who has been reading this story and thanks for the wonderful reviews.


	4. The Power of Persuasion

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Part 4: The Power of Persuasion

The rain seemed hesitant at first: sprinkling a bit but halting altogether just as it seemed to gain momentum. Finally after several false starts, the rain began falling in earnest – covering the world in a silvery, damp blanket. It was the kind of rainfall that farmers prayed for: a steady fall not accompanied by strong winds or lightening. And while many in the area would be staying indoors this evening, they looked forward to the refreshed, glistening crops they would find in the morning.

Gusto was still sitting on the small hill, all but oblivious to the rain. His mind was consumed with the thoughts and questions that had arisen in the last two days.

He went over the incident with Vixen thoroughly in his mind and, despite the heavy feeling of guilt that weighed upon his heart, he couldn't really find anything that he had done wrong. _She had kissed him_. However, he did wish that he had pushed her away immediately instead of waiting a few seconds. Not doing so was a mistake on his part, but he had been too surprised at the time to think clearly. He also wished that Tummi hadn't seen them.

Poor Tummi. He was merely an innocent victim – in love with the wrong girl and in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, Tummi wouldn't have been there at all if Gusto hadn't suggested it. Okay, so he had made two mistakes.

Now Morlin was threatening that no Great Gummi would return to the Glen – all because of him. Gusto had and still thought about leaving. It might be the best way to fix the problem, but instead of just going he had broached the subject with Gruffi.

It had been a foolish thing to do. Perhaps he had just wanted Gruffi to insist that he should stay. Maybe he just wanted to hear someone say that none of this was his fault. No matter what the reason, he knew now that he shouldn't have told Gruffi.

Mistake three.

Besides all that, he had told Gruffi too much about his own past – things he kept closely guarded for so long. He couldn't let anyone find out and he had been careful, up until now. With a minor slip of the tongue, he had started Gruffi to thinking and wondering. Soon, he would have many questions for Gusto.

It looked like he had made a lot of mistakes after all.

Sighing, Gusto stood and for the first time really noticed the rain. He was already soaked to the bone, but he wasn't really bothered by it. He lived behind a waterfall and had spent a good portion of his life on a tropical island where it would often rain with no warning. For him, being wet had merely become a part of life, so he did not worry as he casually made his way back to his place.

Artie was waiting there for him. "Hey Gusto!" he greeted warmly although a bit nervously. "You okay? You sure are wet."

Gusto smiled as warmly as he could manage and could practically see Artie relax slightly. "I was feeling a bit dusty," he responded, "and the rain felt good."

As he changed into a dry outfit, Artie talked almost continuously about his vacation. Gusto nodded in all the appropriate places, but he was only listening with half an ear as he prepared to go back to the Glen. His mind was still preoccupied with his own problems.

Maybe he had inadvertently given Vixen the impression he was interested. Usually he preferred to do portraits at his studio rather than the Glen, so he never really thought anything about telling her to come to his place to pose for her portrait. However, Vixen may have misconstrued this as merely an excuse to be alone with her. Also, he typically used his hands to position his subjects just so, but she could have also misunderstood his touch. The more he thought about it, the more things he realized he could have done differently.

"But of course," Artie was saying, "It had to rain the last two days I was there. I don't usually mind rain, but it was as cold as ice."

"The rain earlier was cold," Gusto responded distractedly as he stepped into the Glen. He was genuinely surprised to see Chummi was there.

"Gusto," Chummi began, "I'm glad you're here. I was about to go looking for you."

"How long have you been here?" Gusto asked, trying to keep the shock from his voice.

"I just got here," Chummi responded, "but I had to come back when I found out something."

"What did you find out?" Gruffi asked, as the others grouped around him.

"Well, when I first heard about Morlin coming here, I asked if I could captain the boat because I wanted to see you all again," Chummi explained, "I was told that there was already a captain – some guy that Morlin knew. However, they said that they would be probably sending more boats later and I could help with that if I liked.

"Then, two days before they were going to leave, Morlin came to me himself. He said that their captain would not be able to make the voyage and asked if I could take his place. Of course, I said yes immediately. I was so excited, I never even thought twice about their original captain. I just assumed he had gotten sick or something. But earlier today, Burly gave me this note." He handed the note to Gruffi.

"_I don't think this is the first time_," Gruffi read aloud, "_I heard that Vixen threatened to make similar accusations against our first captain and that's why he resigned_." His eyes widened with surprise. "You mean, she's done this before?" he asked, "Then why was Morlin so quick to accuse Gusto?"

"He may not know," Chummi answered, "According to the note, Vixen only threatened to accuse this guy. If she didn't actually do it, Morlin may not even that anything happened."

"If he didn't know," Gruffi stated, firmly, "then he will soon."

"Wait, Gruff," Gusto spoke up, "it might not be such a good idea to confront Morlin right now. Maybe we should wait."

"No," Gruffi countered, "What he did before was wrong and we should have never let it got this far."

"Precisely," agreed Chummi, "Morlin may never let me guide one of his ships again, but I don't care about that anymore. I care more about my friends."

"So do I," Sunni added.

"We all have to care for each other," Grammi said.

"I think so too," Tummi spoke up from the doorway.

They all turned to look at him in surprise. Since the beginning of this entire ordeal, Tummi had stayed mostly in his room, not talking very much. Even a huge batch of Grammi's marble nut cookies had only drawn him out of hiding temporarily. Yet, there he stood now, ready to offer his support. With tears in his eyes, Gusto walked over to him. "I'm sorry about all this," Gusto apologized, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tummi smiled softly. "It's okay," he replied, "It wasn't your fault. I was just a little hurt for awhile."

Gusto returned the smile as Gruffi led the way to the Quick Cars. Only Zummi seemed hesitant as he followed slowly from behind the group. Still, Gusto had never really imagined how supportive his friends could be when he really needed them.

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The rain was tapering off by the time they reached Ursalia, but Gruffi barely noticed as he boldly marched inside. Ursa was standing just inside, as if she had been waiting for him. _Maybe she has_, Gruffi thought, _she must had figured something was wrong with Morlin returned._ He wasn't sure if Morlin had told her anything about the situation but he doubted it. Ursa was curious, no doubt, but she wasn't standing around asking questions. Being nosey wasn't her style.

"Where's Morlin?" Gruffi asked, trying to keep his voice calm, "We need to talk to him."

If Ursa was surprised, she didn't show it. "He's in the same room he stayed in before," she answered.

"Actually," Morlin said, as he stepped forward, "I'm right here."

Gruffi spun around, but was taken aback but Morlin's apparance. Before Vixen's accusations, he had appeared so neat and organized with a youthful, open expression. That was no longer the case. His robes were wrinkled and disheveled and the belt was hung crookedly about his waist. New wrinkles lined his face, criss-crossing like strands of a spider's web and the sparkle was gone from his eyes. His shoulders were stooped and rounded as if he had been burdened by a heavy load. 

Taking a deep breath, Gruffi walked closer to the Great Gummi Wizard, feelings of anger, hurt, and even pity welling up inside him. "Yesterday," he stated, "you accused Gusto of some rather horrible things, but there's one piece of evidence you may have not know about."

"Really?" Morlin asked in a tired voice.

Nodding, Gruffi produced Burly's note. "Vixen has done this sort of thing in the past," he added, "to the original captain of your ship. It's rumored that's why he left."

"Oh," Morlin remarked sadly, "Is that so? Where did you hear that?"

Burly stepped forward, his expressive face strangely calm. 

Gruffi was growing agitated. "We know that Gusto didn't do anything," he said, "And this isn't the first time Vixen's tried something like."

He expected Morlin to get mad, but the wizard only shook his head. "I may have been hasty," he admitted, "I never gave your friend the chance to defend himself, and that is why I've decided that a trial would be the best course of action."

"A trial?" Gruffi repeated.

"Yes," Morlin continued, "A fair trial where all the evidence will be examined." He paused and looked directly at Gusto who still seemed somewhat nervous of the whole affair. "If your friend is innocent, then he has nothing to fear, but if he is guilty he will be punished. I believe that is fair."

At first, Gruffi wanted to argue because he already knew Gusto was innocent, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. If there was a trial, there would be no way for Morlin not to see the truth and Gusto's name would be cleared for good. "Perhaps it would be fair," he said. He turned to look at Gusto. "What do you think?"

"I guess so," Gusto responded.

"What exactly is going on here?" Ursa demanded. She had been quiet up to this point, but could make little sense of the conversation.

"Vixen accused Gusto of _attacking_ her," Gruffi responded, carefully stressing the word 'attacking' so that Ursa would understand what he meant.

"What?" Ursa gasped, looking at Gusto and then back to Gruffi, "You have to be kidding."

"We shall have a trial then," Morlin spoke up as if he had not heard Ursa and Gruffi's conversation as he turned his attention for the first time towards Gusto, "We will leave tomorrow morning for New Gumbera. I know you don't have anything packed, but I suggest you take some time to rest. The trip will be difficult."

"New Gumbera? Why not have the trial right here?" Gruffi asked.

"You are his friends," Morlin answered, "There is no way that you could be completely fair."

"But didn't you once tell me," Zummi began, "that you are well-known and somewhat referred in New Gumbrea? If that's true, do you seriously think that they will take Gusto's word over that of your granddaughter?" Although he spoke with conviction, his words were somewhat hesitant and Gruffi knew why. Zummi had always been the one who was most excited whenever the idea of the Great Gummies coming home was mentioned. Plus, he had always wanted to become a greater wizard and had seen Morlin as a way of doing that. Yet, despite all this it seemed that Zummi felt like speaking up on Gusto's behalf was more important.

"We could hold the trial here," Ursa offered.

"He is a friend of yours," Morlin argued, "You could not be impartial."

Gritti stepped forward almost menacingly. "Are you saying we couldn't be fair?" he demanded and Morlin flinched.

"We could be impartial," Ursa insisted, "I can honestly say that I don't really know him all that well." _Only well enough to be surprised at the accusations_ she silently added.

At he her words all of the Barbics stepped forward, standing steadfastly behind Gusto in both action and in support. Burly and Chummi stood with them as everyone watched Morlin carefully.

Morlin nodded slightly. "I'll think about it," he mumbled as he turned away and headed back to the room where he had been staying.

This wasn't a good enough answer for Gruffi who followed Morlin to his room. "Try to see it from our point of view," he said, as he closed the door behind him, "We believe in Gusto and I think if you will give him a chance we can get to the bottom of this mess."

Morlin sighed wearily as he sat down in a nearby chair. "This has just been too much to deal with," he lamented.

"I know she's your granddaughter, but she threatened to do this before," Gruffi continued, "Even you have to admit that's quite a coincidence."

Morlin turned quickly towards him and for a brief second Gruffi saw a flicker of his previous rage in his tired eyes. "Vixen is very beautiful," Morlin stated, "I am not surprised that some may lose a certain amount of control around her."

Gruffi watched him for a moment as a thought suddenly bloomed within his mind. "You knew that she had done this before, didn't you?" he asked. Morlin's silence confirmed all of Gruffi's fears.

"You did know," Gruffi ranted, his anger rising, "This entire time you knew all about it but you still openly accused Gusto. You treated him as if he was a criminal when you knew he was innocent!"

"I know no such thing!" Morlin shouted, "How do you even know? Were you there? He went out of his way to get her alone – pretending to be interested in only a portrait. I should have know it was a ruse!"

"But you were the one who asked him to do the portrait!" Gruffi insisted, but Morlin didn't seem to hear him.

"I had no reason to suspect my granddaughter of anything but the truth," he said, calmly.

"Yes you do!" Gruffi contended, "You knew she has done this before, but you still insisted on accusing Gusto. Do you even care what he's been going through? I've never seen anyone so depressed and he's been talking about leaving. He was willing to go off on his own just because of what you said!"

Morlin seemed truly shocked. "He was thinking of actually leaving?"

Gruffi nodded. "And it's all because of you! Why did you do this? Why?"

Morlin dropped his head, but Gruffi could see the tears forming in his eyes. "When my daughter died," he said slowly, "I felt so empty and alone. My wife had been gone for years and now, so was my precious little girl. All I had left was my granddaughter – who was only an infant at the time.

"I didn't really want to take care of her. I told everyone I had already had my turn at fatherhood, but when I looked down at her I knew what I had to do. Watching her grow up, I saw her blossom into a beautiful young lady."

He stood up and walked over to a small window. "She's so beautiful – just like her mother was. I knew that many of the boys had noticed and I was concerned. In a way, I was prepared for this to happen."

"But she has already made two allegations," Gruffi reminded him.

"Who says that what she accuses is not true?" Morlin shot back as he continued to stare out the window. "I would rather believe that the world is full of rats and dogs who disguise themselves as Gummies than to believe that my daughter – granddaughter I mean, would lie about such a thing."

Morlin's revelation was shocking, but Gruffi managed to stay focused. "You mean you would rather punish an innocent bear just so you can believe that Vixen is some sort of sweet little angel." Morlin didn't answer as he continued to stare outside. "I see," Gruffi stated simply as he opened the door to leave.

"I think we'll have the trial in the morning," Morlin added, "I believe the Barbics will try to be fair."

"No," Gruffi said simply, "There isn't going to be a trial."

"What are you saying?" Morlin demanded, turning away from the window.

Gruffi was steadfast in his answer. "We agreed to the trial only because we wanted to put this whole matter behind us. Our ultimate goal has always been for the Great Gummies to be able to return, but now that I've met you, I'm not sure if I want them to come back after all."

As Gruffi shut the door behind him, he saw the shocked look of hurt on Morlin's face. _Serves him right_, he thought bitterly, but then another thought suddenly occurred to him.

Why had he briefly referred to Vixen as his daughter?

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While Gruffi was speaking to Morlin, Ursa had her own business to attend to. Quietly, she walked up the steps and opened the wooden door to the small room. Vixen jumped when she saw Ursa.

"You scared me," Vixen said.

Instead of speaking, Ursa quietly went about her business as she turned and locked the door.

"What are you doing?" Vixen asked nervously.

Ursa turned and smiled slightly. "I thought it was time for us to have a little chat," she answered.

Backing up a step, Vixen eyed her warily. "About what?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"About this whole incident with Gusto," Ursa responded.

Vixen gasped slightly as her eyes widened. "I have already said everything I am going to say," she answered.

Ursa's smile widened, but it was a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "From what I hear, you like to talk a lot."

"Get out of here," Vixen demanded, "Or I…"

"Or you'll what?" Ursa savagely interrupted, "In case you haven't noticed one of your 'attack' stories won't exactly work with me the way it did with Gusto."

"I'll tell them you threatened me," Vixen stated, "that you tried to beat me up."

"Well then," Ursa sneered, "for once you'll be telling the truth." She quickly crossed the room and grabbed the collar of Vixen's dress.

"I'll scream," Vixen threatened.

"Go ahead and scream," Ursa stated, "I doubt if anyone can hear you and besides I locked the door. How long do you think it will take them to get in here?"

"You can't do this," managed a desperate Vixen, "I'll tell my grandfather and the Great Gummies will never come here!"

Ursa chucked slightly. "From what I hear," she said, "the Great Gummies aren't coming here anyway. Besides, we don't care really if they come or not. The Barbics split from them a long, long time ago." It was not exactly true that she didn't care. Since Gruffi and the others wanted them to Great Gummies to come, she did want them to return to Gummi Glen, but it was all or nothing at this point.

"They'll come and attack you!" Vixen cried.

"I thought you said they weren't coming," Ursa countered.

"They will if you hurt me. They'll come here and fight. You won't have a chance."

Ursa laughed again. "We live for a good battle," she said, "Let them attack us and we will see who is the victor."

Vixen whimpered softly. "What do you want?"

"The truth."

"I've…I've already told the truth!"

"Oh, really," Ursa responded. With a fluid motion, she pulled out the sword that hung at her waist and held it up to Vixen's neck. "What if I don't believe you?" In all reality, she had no intention of cutting Vixen but Ursa wanted her to believe that she did.

"You wouldn't!" Vixen cried.

Without answering, Ursa brought the sword closer and placed the cold metal against Vixen's neck. Tears came to her eyes as she tried to squirm from Ursa's grasp. "I was just mad at him!" Vixen finally yelled.

"What did you say?" Ursa demanded without moving the weapon.

"I was mad at Gusto," Vixen said, "but I didn't mean for all this to happen."

"That's a start. Now, what happened?"

Tears spilled down Vixen's cheeks as she spoke. "I told my grandfather I would like my portrait done," she explained, "and he told Gusto. I didn't mean for anything to happen, I just thought that Gusto was sorta cute."

"And?" Ursa urged.

"I kept flirting with him, but he ignored me at first. Finally, I asked if he thought I was pretty. When he said that I was, I told him he was handsome and I kissed him, but he acted really weird about it. He suddenly pushed me away saying something about his friend that was coming there to see me. I guess that Tummi guy liked me and he saw us, but I didn't really care about that. I was just mad at the way Gusto had pushed me away." She pouted slightly.

"Did it ever occur to you that he might NOT want to kiss you?" asked Ursa.

"Why would he not want to?" Vixen responded, truly confused, "Anyway, I was holding onto his arm and when he jerked away I fell and hurt my art on a table. It really ticked me off."

"You were mad at him so you decided to make such horrible accusations against him?" Ursa questioned.

"No," Vixen replied, "I was mad but I didn't just go and accuse him. I went back to Gummi Glen and I was just sort of ranting and raving to myself. My grandfather saw me and asked me what was wrong. I just started complaining saying that Gusto was a lousy artist and that he was mean. Without thinking, I added that he was a horrible kisser and my grandfather assumed that he had kissed me."

"And you just let him believe it," Ursa added, shoving Vixen back so that she landed heavily in a nearby chair.

"He asked for more details," Vixen continued, "and I told him about Tummi catching us. From then on, grandfather just added the details to suit him." She looked up at Ursa miserably. "I didn't think that things would go this far. They never have before."

"So why didn't you just tell Morlin the truth?" demanded Ursa.

"I couldn't," Vixen cried, "besides, he wouldn't believe me."

"Is this what happened with that other guy you accused – the sailor."

"His name is Lee," Vixen said, bitterly, "And we were in love. He was going to take me far away from New Gumbrea, far away from my grandfather. We were going to run away right after this trip, but Grandfather caught us kissing down by the dock. I tried to tell him that Lee and I were in love, but he wouldn't listen. He said that Lee had tricked me, taking advantage of me or something like that, and that he didn't really care. But nothing really happened to Lee! Grandfather just told him to never come around me again."

Vixen stood up and walked across the room. "It hasn't been easy for me," she insisted, "growing up with my grandfather. I heard that my mother died because something like this happened to her, but that still not fair! My grandfather thinks that I'm his daughter sometimes instead of his granddaughter. He even calls me by my mother's name, Violet, every now and then. I can't get close to anyone without him getting suspicious. He thinks that every guy is out to hurt me."

Ursa sheathed her sword, but her expression was cold. "You act like you're the innocent victim," she began, "but you're not. You're a user of the worst kind and I think there's a lot more than you're telling me. You knew how suspicious Morlin was, but you still went out of your way to kiss Gusto. And I don't think you accidentally mentioned the kiss to Morlin. I bet you were just mad at Gusto and knew this was the best way to get revenge." She walked over and grabbed Vixen roughly by the arm. "Come on," she commanded, "You have a confession to make."

"But I can't!" Vixen exclaimed.

"Oh, you can and you will," Ursa responded, pulling her towards the door, "I'll see to that."

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"What happened?" Zummi asked anxiously as Gruffi came down from Morlin's room.

Gruffi shook his head angrily. "I just can't believe that guy!" he yelled, "I think he's knows that Gusto's innocent but he still wants to punish him."

"What can we do now?" Sunni asked.

"I think I have a solution," Ursa announced as she walked towards them, dragging Vixen by the arm. "It seems that Vixen here has a bit of a confession to make."

"What happened?" Gruffi inquired, surprised.

"Nothing much," Ursa answered nonchalantly, "Me and Vixen has just been having a nice little girl talk. It seems like the guilt has just gotten to be too much for her."

Gruffi barely held back a laugh. It was just like Ursa to go straight to the root of the problem and apply a little force as needed. No wonder Vixen looked so afraid. He would have been apprehensive to approach the situation that way, but it looked like Ursa's idea had worked. "That's great," he said, "I guess I should go get Morlin and tell him that his 'sweet little angel' has something to tell him."

"Gusto will be so happy," Sunni said, "Hey, where is Gusto?"

As they looked around Ursalia, Gruffi realized that he had not seen Gusto since Morlin had mentioned the trial. Everyone searched diligently, hoping that he had just stepped away, but Gruffi already knew the truth.

Gusto was gone.

****

End Part 4

__

After working with this story, I definitely want to write more stories with and about the Barbics. I never had before, but I'm especially enjoying working with the character of Ursa. Anyway, I hope everyone liked this chapter. Part 5 (the final chapter) will soon be on the way!


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